Samsung‘s brand new Galaxy Z Flip has turned the tables ever since it was announced. The device is a rather impressive smartphone, mostly now, as the competition is heating up due to Motorola‘s Razr and the Huawei Mate X.
If you’re sold on these new types of smartphones, and the price tag doesn’t seem too much – $1,380 – here are a few things you should know about the Galaxy Z Flip before purchasing it.
The Camera is Only Decent
For those who already tested the smartphone, the camera was perhaps one of the most disappointing elements of the mobile device, as they expected every aspect to be top-of-the-notch.
The rear lenses provide a regular and super-wide view, and even though they are both decent for everyday captures, but they are not the best. Colors are sometimes looking oversaturated, and because it doesn’t have a zoom lens when wanting to get a close-up, you’ll have to utilize the digital zoom.
It doesn’t have the dual-aperture mode either, of even the cheapest’s Galaxy S10e. At 12MP, its super-wide sensor is even lower in resolution than the S10e’s megapixels. The camera is not a bad one, but you should know that you won’t be getting top-level photo capacities for the phone’s price.
Careful for Dust and Water
Numerous recent flagships, such as the iPhone 11 or the Galaxy S10 and S20, as well as others, have registered high IP ratings, which means they are protected against dust and water until certain levels. However, due to the folding system in the Galaxy Z Flip, such a rating is not possible.
This means that when it is raining or a lot of dust around, you have to make sure the phone doesn’t get affected. A test by iFixit showcased how easy it is to get dust inside the Z Flip. These things are something worth taking into consideration once you’ve unboxed the new device.
The Outside Screen is Odd
The Galaxy Z Flip features a small pill-shaped display on the outside part of the device. It is meant to show any notification you receive when the handset is closed, and act as a small camera for selfies.
However, it is rather ‘too small, squat and narrow to really do anything meaningful with it,’ according to a fan who tested the Galaxy Z Flip. It also makes reading the notifications a bit odd, and it is much easier to just open the smartphone. Moreover, the small format of the camera viewfinder makes it harder to capture a group selfie because it doesn’t show the whole image you are taking.
The Battery Could Have Been Better
According to some looping video battery rundown tests, the Galaxy Z Flip reached 15 hours of run time from a full charge. The number is definitely in the lower end of what we’d want from a flagship phone. For instance, the Galaxy S10 Plus and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus registered 21 hours in the same test.
Being careful with how you use the phone might be necessary if you want to get a full day of the handset. However, if you’re having fuller and longer days, you have to make sure you top-up if you want to have some energy left at the end of your day.
